551 complaints reported

1996 Ford Explorer Tires

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
551
Crashes
97
Fires
1
Injuries
99

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Aug 2000

JUST LEFT THE ON RAMP TO THE HIGHWAY SPEED APPROCED 45 MPH WHEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE STERING WHEEL BEGAN TO PULL TO THE RIGHT. ALMOST LOST CONTROL, AND THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO ROLL OVER. PROCEDED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGWAY AND INSPECTED THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE AND DAMGED THE RIGHT FRONT FENDER/QUARTER PANEL. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2000
Aug 2000 Crash Injury

TIRE TREAD PEELED OFF OF TIRE DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING. FIRST OCCURANCE IN APRIL WITH NO CRASH OR INJURY. SECOND OCCURANCE CAUSED VEHICLE TO ROLL CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT BODY SHOP GETTING ESTIMATE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235-15 )

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Sep 2000
Aug 2000

PE00 020; CONSUMER HAD JUST COME BACK FROM A TRAVELING TRIP AND GAS ATTENDANT TOLD HIM THAT HIS TIRES DIDN'T LOOK GOOD. TIRES WERE FIRESTONE ATX#. HE HAD ALL FOUR TIRES REPLACED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 1999
Aug 2000 Crash Injury

SPONTANEOUS TREAD SEPARATION. OUR EXPERTS DETERMINED NO INJURY TO TIRE: DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. HAVE FILED SUIT IN FEDERAL COURT, 10TH CIRCUIT, CIVIL NO. 00-1144-BB (10TH CIRCUIT). CONTACT US OUR OFFICES IF YOU WISH MORE INFORMATION.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/75R15 )

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2000
Aug 2000

FILDED INCEDENT REPORT WITH FIRSTONE IN MAY. THEY READILY PAID FOR NEW TIRE NAD REPAIRS TO VEHICLE. OUR 20 YEAR OLD SON WAS TRAVELING HOEM FROM COLLEGE ON I75 IN MIDDLE LAND WHEN TREAD SEPARATED . THREW HIM TO LEFT EMERGENCY LAND. LUCKILY HE CONTROLLED VEHICLE AND CAME TO STOP. TIRE DID NOT LOSE PRESSURE ANDLUCKILY THE SHREDING TORE UP TEH REAR FENDER ETC AND DID NOT GO INTO AXEL. TORE UP WHEL WELL, QTR PANEL, REAR, R. BUMPER,A DN LIFTGATE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VDHL1PM096 TIRE SIZE: 23575SR/55 )

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Aug 2000

TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE BODY AT POSTED HIGHWAY SPEED (70MPH). *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P23575R15 )

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2000
Aug 2000

FIRE STONE TIRES KEEP SHREDDING. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2000
Aug 2000

ORIGINAL TIRE ON VEHICLE HAD TO BE REPLACED. CONSUMER BOUGHT A SET OF FIRESTONE TIRES. THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. DEALERSHIP TOLD CONSUMER THAT THE TIRE HAD DEFECTIVE TREAD. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2000
Jul 2000

FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX P23575R15 TIRES ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 96 EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 55-60MPH TREAD SEPARATED ON THE LEFT REAR TIRE, RESULTING IN BODY DAMAGE. *AK *SLC

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2000
Jul 2000

WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 75MPH FELT REAR END WOBBLING BADLY. PULLED OVER & NOTICED A BUBBLE IN THE TREAD OF ORIGINAL FIRESTONE ATX. EXCHANGED LEFT REAR WITH THE SPARE. TOOK VEHICLE TO FIRESTONE STORE & BROUGHT TWO FIRESTONE ATX & PLACED ON VEHICLE. DO NOT HAVE TIRES OR DOT NUMBER. P225/70R15. TIRES HAD 54,000 MILES. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Jul 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 1999
Jul 2000 Crash Injury

PE00020 TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH DRIVER HEARD A LOUD NOISE, LOST CONTROL OF THE EXPLORER AND CRASHED. DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE EXPLORER BECAUSE THE TREAD ON THE REAR RIGHT TIRE CAME OFF. DRIVER WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN VEHICLE AND NOT SERIOUSLY INJURIED. TIRE WAS A FIRESTONE ATX, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, 23575R15. THE INSURANCE HAS BEEN CONTACTED. OWNER WAS TOLD TO CONTACT FIRESTONE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURHTER INFORMATION.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2000
Jul 2000

TREAD CAME OFF PARTIALLY OFF THE TIRES WHILE DRIVING, AND WAS BANGING AGAINST THE VEHICLE. THESE WERE FIRESTONE ATX TIRES. TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH ANOTHER SET OF ATX. *AK FIRESTONE ATX P235/75/R15 *MW

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 1999
Jul 2000 Crash Injury

PE00-020, FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRE TREAD SEPARATION; WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 70-75 MPH TREAD ON THE REAR TIRE ON DRIVER'S SIDE CAME OFF, WHICH CAUSED A CRASH. EXPLORER WAS TOTALLED IN THE CRASH. DRIVER WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO SUSTAINED A SHOULDER INJURY. FIRESTONE ATX TIRES WERE ON THE TRUCK. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2000
Jul 2000 Crash

TIRE TREAD SEPERATED ON THE DRIVER'S REAR SIDE. TIRE WAS A STOCK REPLACEMENT FROM FORD DEALER. TIRES WERE FIRESTONE ATX P235/75R15. VEHICLE WAS GOING ABOUT 65 MPH. VEHICLE RECEIVED ABOUT $2000 WORTH OF DAMAGES. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2000
Jul 2000

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THREE (3) TIRES HAVE SEPARATED FROM THE BELTS. ONE LEFT-REAR TIRE SEPARATED ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH. THE CAR STARTED SHIMMING, THEN A THUMP, AND YOU COULD HEAR FLAPPING. THE TREAD HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE BELTS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Jul 2000

LEFT REAR TIRE SIDEWALLS CAME TO RIBBONS. TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. THE TIRE WAS A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS, UNSURE IF IT WAS THE ORIGINAL TIRES. VEHICLE WAS DRIVING APPROX 60 MPH. TIRE SIZE P255/70R16. THE TIRE WAS GIVEN TO DEALER.*AK CUSTOMER WAS WAITING FOR RECALL TO REPLACE THE TIRES BUT WOULD NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE ON INTERSTATE UNTIL TIRE SAFETY IS ASSURED. *YH

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2000
Jul 2000

TREAD ON FIRESTONE ATX TIRES WAS SEPARATING FROM INSIDE. TIRE SIZE P235/75R15. TIRES WERE THE ORIGINAL ONES BOUGHT WITH VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS GOING ABOUT 40 MPH. IT WAS THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. DEALER HAS ADVISED CONSUMER THAT ALL FOUR TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 2000
Jul 2000

THE 1ST INCIDENT REPORTED WAS A CATASTROPHIC BLOWOUT OF A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT LT235/75R15 DOT VDHK AWZ. IT OCCURRED LATE AT NIGHT ON A COLD FEBRUARY NIGHT (2/21/99) ON A WISCONSIN INTERSTATE. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO SIGN OF ANYTHING ON THE ROAD, AN( DOT NUMBER: VDHK AWZ TIRE SIZE: 235/75R15 )

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 1998
Jul 2000

THESE 3 INCIDENTS OCCURRED WITHIN A COUPLE HOURS ON A VERY HOT DAY (>100) IN ID. ONE PUNCTURE AND THEN ONE BLOWOUT OCCURRED ON DIRT ROADS. THE LAST BLOWOUT OCCURRED ON PAVEMENT. BOTH BLOWOUTS INVOLVED SEPARATION OF THE TREAD FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE.( DOT NUMBER: W2UU1MX TIRE SIZE: P225/70R15 )

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 1998
Jul 2000

I REPORTED THIS INCIDENT JUST TODAY IN A PRIOR REPORT, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO INCLUDE ALL OF THE NECESSARY INFO., SO THIS IS THE COMPLETE INFO. THIS TIRE FAILED IN A CATASTROPHIC BLOWOUT, LATE ON A VERY COLD NIGHT ON INTERSTATE 94 IN WISCONSIN. THERE WAS N( DOT NUMBER: VDHKAWZ TIRE SIZE: LT23575R15 )

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 1999
Jul 2000

I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. I DID NOT LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE , HENCE NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THESE TIRES WERE INSTALLED AT 74960 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE WAS TAKEN TO THE FIRSTONE STORE IN MADISON, WI AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE TIRE WOULD NOT BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE BLOWOUT WAS DUE TO 'ROAD HAZARD' AND NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. I BOUGHT A NEW TIRE AND THEN CONTACTED FIRESTONE DIRECTLY AND EXPLAINED THAT I THOUGHT THAT THIS FAILED TIRE HAD A MANUFACTURING DEFECT; FIRESTONE THEN SENT ME A CHECK COVERING THE COST OF THE NEW TIRE. THE BLOWOUT POINT WAS WHERE THE TREAD WAS VULCANIZED TO THE SIDEWALL. ALSO STARTING IN MAY, 2000 (80702 MILES) I HAD TROUBLE KEEPING THESE TIRES BALANCED; AFTER THE TIRES WARMED UP THERE WAS A SEVERE VIBRATION STARTING AT APPROXIAMETLY 55 MPH. THE TIRES WERE BALANCED THREE TIMES OVER A PERIOD OF ABOUT SIX WEEKS. I HAD THE TIRES INSPECTED BY FIRESTONE AND JUST ONE OF THE TIRES HAD THE 'DOT VD' MARKING. I WAS TOLD BY THE FIRESTONE REP THAT THEY RECOMMENDED REPLACING ALL OF THE TIRES, FIRESTONE WOULD REPLACE THE ONE TIRE AND I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OTHER THREE. FIRESTONE DID NOT HAVE ANY REPLACEMENT TIRES IN STOCK AND COULDN'T GIVE ME A TARGET DATE. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THEY THOUGHT THE VIBRATIONS WERE DUE TO THE VEHICLE AND NOT THE TIRES SO IT WAS A FORD PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE, AT MY COST, REPLACED THE FIRESTONES WITH MICHELINS; THE NEW TIRES CURED THE VIBRATIONS. I HAVE MY TIRES INFLATED AT 32 TO 35 PSI AT ALL TIMES.( DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRE SIZE: P235 75R15 )

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2000
Jul 2000

FIRESTONE WILDERNESS 16" TIRES ARE STARTING TO EXPERIENCE TREAD SEPARATION, CONSUMER REQUESTS FIRESTONE REPLACE FAULTY TIRES. *SLC

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Aug 2000
Jul 2000 Crash

PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE. SHE PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER. A PIECE OF TIRE TREAD WAS MISSING. MOLDING WAS DAMAGED, AND LEFT REAR TIRE WAS DAMAGED. FIRESTONE, #ATX P23570R15. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED FIRESTONE.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 1999
Jul 2000

I PURCHASED 4 ATX TIRES 04-28-1997 FROM THE FIRESTONE TIRE CENTER,6783 W. CANYON AVE, LITTLETON CO 80123. ON JULY 17TH, 1997 THE RIGHT REAR TIRE THREW ITS TREAD WHILE I WAS GOING AROUN A CURVE ON THE HIGHWAY. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO OTHER TRAFFIC AND I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING. THE FIRESTONE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE TIRE BLAMES THE TREAD SEPARATION ON A ROAD HAZARD BUT THEY DID REPLACE THE TIRE UNDER WARRANTY.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235 75 15 )

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 1997

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 1996 Ford Explorer has 551 Tires complaints on file. 97 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.